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Motmot Isles

Coming to iOS and Android

Collect real birds. Build their islands.

An archipelago of habitats adrift on a sea of clouds. You open an egg, a bird that really exists hatches, and the island grows to make room for it. You set the pace.

Open an egg
birds at launch
915

birds at launch

islands at launch
6

islands at launch

in the catalogue
10,548

in the catalogue

The Motmot Isles archipelago: floating islands over a sea of clouds

The game loop

Every bird grows the island

The birds you have on display make Vital Essence. Essence levels you up, the fog pulls back and room appears for more birds, which make more Essence. That circle is the engine of the game.

  • You make room

    Every level uncovers a part of the island that was under the fog. There are nine corners in each one, and room comes before the bird.

  • You let it incubate

    Eggs incubate in real time, from ten minutes to two days, and the island keeps producing while you are away, up to twelve hours.

  • And you watch

    The birds on display are the ones that produce, so the more you show, the more Essence comes in. How many counts, not which ones.

The odds

The more you have, the closer the missing one gets

Twenty birds from one island, with the game’s rule and the game’s weights. Every egg you open shares weight out towards the ones you are missing, so the one you want can only get closer. Open them all and watch.

Found
0 / 20
Eggs
0

Every egg pushes up the ones you have left.

Common×10

weight 1.0

  • Illustration of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Yellow-bellied Sapsucker7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Mountain Chickadee7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (Amazilia tzacatl), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Rufous-tailed Hummingbird7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Yellow-throated Toucan (Ramphastos ambiguus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Yellow-throated Toucan7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Scarlet-rumped Tanager (Ramphocelus passerinii), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Scarlet-rumped Tanager7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Andean Motmot7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Common Raven (Corvus corax), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Common Raven7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Great Horned Owl7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Sharp-shinned Hawk7.82 %
  • Illustration of the Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Brown Shrike7.82 %

Uncommon×6

weight 0.40

  • Illustration of the Highland Guan (Penelopina nigra), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Highland Guan3.13 %
  • Illustration of the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculatus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Three-wattled Bellbird3.13 %
  • Illustration of the Red-bellied Grackle (Hypopyrrhus pyrohypogaster), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Red-bellied Grackle3.13 %
  • Illustration of the Cuban Amazon (Amazona leucocephala), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Cuban Amazon3.13 %
  • Illustration of the Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Cuban Trogon3.13 %
  • Illustration of the Moustached Puffbird (Malacoptila mystacalis), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Moustached Puffbird3.13 %

Rare×3

weight 0.12

  • Illustration of the Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant (Myiotheretes pernix), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Santa Marta Bush-Tyrant0.94 %
  • Illustration of the Elfin-woods Warbler (Setophaga angelae), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Elfin-woods Warbler0.94 %
  • Illustration of the Hooded Antpitta (Grallaricula cucullata), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Hooded Antpitta0.94 %

Very rare×1

weight 0.03

  • Illustration of the Short-crested Coquette (Lophornis brachylophus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles
    Short-crested Coquette0.23 %

The coloured dot says how the species is doing in the real world, according to the IUCN Red List.
The rule and the weights are the game’s: every time a species comes out — the first time and when it repeats — it keeps 60 % of its weight and the other 40 % is shared out among the ones you are missing. The only thing this table changes is the size: twenty birds here, 175 on that island at launch.

The archipelago

Fourteen islands, fourteen worlds

From páramo to rainforest, from mangrove to desert. Every bird lives on one of them, and every island opens as you discover birds.

  • High mountain and páramo, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Summits around the world

    High mountain and páramo

    Summits around the world

    Opens later on

  • Cloud forest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Tropical Africa and Asia

    Cloud forest

    Tropical Africa and Asia

    Opens later on

  • Cloud forest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Australia and Oceania

    Cloud forest

    Australia and Oceania

    Opens later on

  • Cloud forest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: The Americas

    Cloud forest

    The Americas

    175 birds at launch

  • Inside The woods: Cloud forest

    The woods

    Inside · Cloud forest

  • Temperate and boreal forest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: The far north

    Temperate and boreal forest

    The far north

    115 birds at launch

  • Wetland, mangrove and swamp, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Fresh and brackish water

    Wetland, mangrove and swamp

    Fresh and brackish water

    175 birds at launch

  • Inside The water: Wetland

    The water

    Inside · Wetland

  • Sea and coast, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Cliffs, beaches, open sea

    Sea and coast

    Cliffs, beaches, open sea

    120 birds at launch

  • Scrub and desert, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Dry country

    Scrub and desert

    Dry country

    Opens later on

  • Inside The spring: Scrub and desert

    The spring

    Inside · Scrub and desert

  • Grassland, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Open plains

    Grassland

    Open plains

    Opens later on

  • Savanna and dry forest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Seasonal tropics

    Savanna and dry forest

    Seasonal tropics

    130 birds at launch

  • Lowland rainforest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Africa

    Lowland rainforest

    Africa

    Opens later on

  • Lowland rainforest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Australia and Oceania

    Lowland rainforest

    Australia and Oceania

    Opens later on

  • Lowland rainforest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: The Americas

    Lowland rainforest

    The Americas

    200 birds at launch

  • Lowland rainforest, one of the fourteen floating islands in Motmot Isles: Tropical Asia

    Lowland rainforest

    Tropical Asia

    Opens later on

Six islands launch with birds — 915 between them — and the other eight open as you go. Between the fourteen they hold all 10,548 species in the catalogue, and each one has nine corners inside: the wetland’s water and the desert’s spring are two different landscapes.

The birds

Painted one by one

Every bird in the game really exists, with its name, its habitat and its Red List status. And each one has a plate of its own: 915 to begin with, all different.

  • Illustration of the Andean Motmot (Momotus aequatorialis), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Andean Motmot

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Lilac-breasted Roller (Coracias caudatus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Lilac-breasted Roller

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Keel-billed Toucan

    Near threatened

  • Illustration of the Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Common Kingfisher

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Vermilion Flycatcher

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Common Hoopoe

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    European Bee-eater

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Turquoise Jay (Cyanolyca turcosa), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Turquoise Jay

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    European Robin

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Red-winged Fairywren (Malurus elegans), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Red-winged Fairywren

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Toucan Barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Toucan Barbet

    Near threatened

  • Illustration of the Cape Starling (Lamprotornis nitens), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Cape Starling

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currucoides), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Mountain Bluebird

    Least concern

  • Illustration of the Cuban Trogon (Priotelus temnurus), one of the birds in Motmot Isles

    Cuban Trogon

    Least concern

Fourteen of the 915. The one in the logo came first: an Andean motmot. Names, habitats and rarity come from eBird, the IUCN and GBIF.

The conservation island

An island we will open together

You can see it from day one, floating at the far end of the archipelago. It opens for every player at once, the day what we raise is enough to buy a real forest.

With money, not Essence

It is the one island you cannot open by playing. On the other side there is a real forest, with its trees and its place on the map, and that is bought.

And for good

Bought once and it stays bought. A protected forest needs paperwork, boundaries and someone watching over it, and that is part of the bill.

The forest is not bought yet. The day it is, we will say how much, where and with whom.

The conservation island, still closed, at the far end of the archipelago

Frequently asked

In case you were wondering

What kind of game is Motmot Isles?
A collecting game for iPhone and Android. You open eggs, each one hatches a bird that exists for real, and your island grows to make room for it. You play it in small doses, and you compete with nobody.
Do I need to know about birds?
You need to know nothing about birds to start. Every egg introduces a new species with its name, its habitat and how it is doing in the real world. You can arrive without knowing a single bird and end up recognising hundreds.
Is it free?
It is free to play. There will be an optional membership that doubles what the game gives you — eggs, storage, nests and Essence — never eggs sold on their own, and never better odds for paying. The price is not decided yet.
When does it come out?
There is no date yet, and we would rather not invent one. What you can see is the progress: we write it up in News every few weeks. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it opens, and sooner if you join the test.
Do I have to play every day?
You play whenever you feel like it. The island waits exactly as you left it: you come back and pick up where you were, with your birds in their places.
What happens when I get a duplicate?
It turns into Vital Essence, which is what grows the island. And it lowers its own odds too: the weight it drops is shared out among the species you are still missing, so a duplicate also brings you closer to the one you want.
Does the island fill up over time?
The island is whole from day one; what changes is how much of it you can see. You level up and the fog pulls back.
An Andean motmot in flight, the bird in the Motmot Isles logo

Come and watch them arrive

The archipelago is still growing. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it opens — and sooner, if you want to test it with us.

Only to tell you about the launch and the test. Not one email more. If you change your mind, write to [email protected] and we will remove you.

Or follow along here in the meantime: